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Onward to Australia! Georgia wanted to visit, Ali wanted to check out some universities for PhD programs, and Jesse and I were along for the ride!
May 4th - Brisbane tours
We arrived in Brisbane first thing in the morning with the women all flying in from Tokyo together and Jesse flying in from Osaka. Even though it was only a time-zone difference of one hour, we had taken overnight flights from Japan, so while we all napped at least a little bit on the plane, we were also all at various levels of "tired" for the day.
We took the train in from the airport and dropped our bags off at the hotel before heading out for the day. We started by walking through the city's botanical garden and marveling at the different plants and the birds. The birds are all shaped so differently! While walking we saw there was going to be a free tour later in the day, so we decided to walk to city hall with its clock tower and free museum in the meantime. While you can take tours of the clock tower, they were booked up for the morning, but open in the afternoon so we made a reservation there before returning for the park.
The park tour was given by a volunteer who knew a range of things about the park, and who didn't hesitate to add his own personal flare to the facts. We learned that when the botanical garden was established a big focus was discovering which species could grow in Australia so many of the trees aren't native. The sun-shaped flower bed is a newer addition, because the people of Brisbane said they wanted more colour in the gardens. You could see the shape from the ground, but the drone gets the best view by far.
After the park we went up the clocktower to see the mechanisms and walk around the observations level above the clock faces. The elevator up is a very old key operated model. Historically it wasn't programmed to stop at specific points so it would have been up to the operator to time the starting and stopping.
Considering our sleep, it was a busy day so we all called it a night early.
May 5th - Boat Tour and Exploring Brisbane
We started the morning with a kayak tour on the Brisbane River, aka the Brown Snake because of the way it winds through downtown Brisbane. The tide and currents were fairly strong, but we paddled up the river a little ways, before resting and coasting our way back. It was so freeing to be able to chat with our guide in English! Even when Jesse and I have taken tours with English speaking guides in Japan, there is still a significant language barrier, so to be able to ask about anything without having to think about it was a luxury.
After the kayaking, Ali headed back to our hotel/apartment to rest while Georgia, Jesse, and I wandered around to find a spot for lunch. We ended up at a street with craft stalls set up on one side and restaurants on the other. We found a Mexican place for lunch, and while it wasn't necessarily authentic it was certainly tasty.
In general the best thing about Australia (for me) was the food because it was all familiar. I can't quite explain what is missing in Japan, but perhaps it is predictability. Menus here tend to be minimal. There is generally only a name without a list of ingredients, and when we order something it ranges from "I probably know what this is" to "who knows what I chose". In Australia I really enjoyed being sure I would like something when I ordered it. Plus the Australian ingredients, combinations, and spices are similar to Canada. Oh, but food portions sure are bigger than Japan!
After lunch we continued to wander until we found some live music playing. We sat and listened, then found some dessert during the intermission, and Ali joined us for the second half as the sun went down. It felt like we were in the stereotypical establishing shot for a university in a movie.
May 6th - Mount Ngungun
As we drove up to the Sunshine Coast to spend some time at the beach, we stopped at Mount Ngungun on the way. Our kayak guide had spent a fair bit of time on the Sunshine Coast so we took his suggestion on where to go for a hike.
It was fairly busy, but we only really got stuck behind folks coming down. It was a steep hike but not particularly difficult, and both Georgia and Ali powered on ahead while Jesse hung back with me. (I have learned I don't like hills. They are exhausting. Worth it when you get to the top though!)
There was an interesting cave/overhang partway up the route, and the view from the top was phenomenal with a lovely breeze.
The mountains in this area were formed in a really interesting way. They are the remains of cooled magma chutes from ancient volcanos! The surrounding rock was softer and so has been worn away over the centuries with only the steep peaks popping out of the ground.
Beach and nachos
We got checked into our next apartment/hotel (Georgia made some great hotel selections!) and took a quick walk to the beach nearby. Jesse went for a swim in the waves while the rest of us sat and enjoyed the sand. I discovered the sand was great for sculpting so I made a turtle!
We took advantage of having a well equipped kitchen to make nachos for supper, although the grocery store was picked clean so we had to make a few substitutions. It was a fun time!
May 7th - Australia Zoo
The main highlight of the Sunshine Coast was visiting the Australia Zoo! It was a full day trying to see as many of the animals as we could. Because of Australia's unique island history, it has some animals that are so incredibly different to what we are used to. It was great to see the cassowaries, and kangaroos, and koalas. Dingos look exactly like dogs. If I had seen one of them on the street I would have assumed it was someone's lost pet!
In the early afternoon the main attraction is the show with a number of the animals which culminates in the crocodile demonstration. I loved all the birds swooping around between their trainers but the crocodile was also impressive. They can sense movements on the shore through vibrations in the ground and water, so they can stalk their prey without surfacing. At the end of the show, as everyone was filing out (protected by 2 layers of fence), the trainers kept the crocodile's attention on them by just walking to the edge of the water. That was enough to cause the crocodile to turn underwater and face them again when it turned towards the folks walking by.
We also got the chance to touch elephant hair! They have 4 African Elephants at the Australia Zoo and after the presentation in their habitat, the trainers were available to answer questions. I was interested because in Zoboomafoo they had a regular elephant guest who was named "Toothbrush" because of her hair. It was incredibly stiff and you could've convinced me it was plastic. One of the trainers said that if you pat the elephant sides too enthusiastically you can start bleeding because you got poked by their hair.
Australian Animals
Non-Australian Animals
May 8th - Chill day to recharge
We had a relaxing day where everyone did their own thing for the most part. Some of us walked along the beach, or got a coffee, or read. We got lunch from the couple of restaurants by the beach near our apartment, and then Georgia and I went grocery shopping for supper. I was enjoying the abundance of counter space while cooking! We tried to go for a walk after supper but the weather chased us back inside.
May 9th- Maddock Park
As we drove back to Brisbane we stopped at Maddock Park which is a lake and surrounding nature preserve created by Maddock Dam. It honestly felt a lot like walking around a lake in Ontario. Unfortunately it started to rain so we turned around a little earlier than we might have otherwise to avoid getting completely soaked.
We also stopped at a fire lookout on the way. After hiking up yet another steep hill, there was a lovely breeze and a 360 degree view. There was a cable in the center of the lookout and there were degrees marked on the outer railing. In the case of a fire, the person manning the lookout can use the wire and the markings to accurately get the compass reading to help firefighters locate the fire, although the lookout seemed to be in a state of slight disrepair.
The afternoon was spent returning the rental car and flying to Cairns for the next few days of adventure.
May 10th - Fitzroy Island
On the activity list for the day was visiting Fitzroy Island nearby. We walked from our motel to the shore, and had a slightly tricky time finding our boat. There were so many different boats from similar companies all leaving from one main dock that it was a little overwhelming. We were in the right place, and in not too long we were settled and given our snorkeling gear for the day which included a mask with a snorkel, a pair of flippers, and a jellyfish suit (which is basically a very thin wetsuit with mittens that cover your hands to protect you from jelly fish stings). We saw no jellyfish and our guide said he hasn't seen any all season but they did help us stay a little warmer.
When we arrived at Fitzroy Island we were on our own for the morning to do what we wanted, and then mid-afternoon we would meet up with a marine biologist for a more guided tour.
Unfortunately the weather was not being the most cooperative since it was sprinkling sometimes, generally breezy, and overall a somewhat grey day. When Jesse and I were diving and snorkeling in Okinawa, Miki commented that the visibility was really good and we didn't quite understand what she meant. However, snorkeling off of Fitzroy island we understood. You honestly couldn't see more than a meter away underwater.
We did swim in the morning, and then Jesse got out his drone and found a pair of turtles swimming in super close to shore! They were just popping up, taking a breath and then diving back down. Jesse scrambled into his snorkel gear a second time to see them, while I watched from the shore.
We then walked back to the main beach and joined our marine biologist guide on a smaller boat to go around the point and explore a new area of the reef. In order to see the coral we had to dive down and then pop our ears. Like when we were kayaking, it was great to have a knowledgeable guide who was a native English speaker. He showed Jesse and I some clams that hid in the coral when startled, and he told us a lot about the behaviours of the common schools of fish that we saw.
For supper we found a Greek restaurant that was delicious! We were underdressed considering we hadn't been back to our hotel between the ocean swims and supper, but the food was great and it was being run by a very energetic man from Toronto. Thankfully we were early enough that we got one of the few free tables because it was a very busy place!
The 3 of us at the Brisbane sign (It was very hard to get the entire word in frame!)
May 11th - Back to Brisbane
On May 11th we split up, leaving Ali in Cairns while Georgia, Jesse, and I returned to Brisbane for one final night. The most exciting part of the day was the supper that we had at a pancake house. It was in a renovated church, so the general vibe of the place was quite unique, but unfortunately the service was incredibly slow.
I think Japanese restaurant service is something that the rest of the world should adopt. Here, to be served you can press a button on your table to ring a virtual bell that lights up an indicator for the servers. Then, when they have a moment, they know to come by your table. Or, the older method that is common in smaller places is just to call out "excuse me!". It feels a little pretentious to call out, but it means the rest of the time the servers can just leave you be. However, when you need their attention, you can get it quickly. At the pancake house we were stuck trying to politely catch someone's eye from behind a stone column. Very inefficient.
May 12th - Back to Japan
This was our last day in Australia. Georgia left first since her flight was earlier than ours, and unfortunately we weren't able to meet up in the departures lounge before her flight boarded, but we all got on our respective flights with no hassle.
Jesse was worried he might feel more homesick going back to Japan after Australia since Australia is so similar to Canada, but we were both happy to be back in Japan. Being able to take the local trains and Shinkansen, and grab supper at a convenience store are all things that we have gotten used to and good at and will miss back in Canada! Plus being a pedestrian in Australia sucked, the cars truly own the road. Walking in Japan is much more enjoyable!
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